Weighing and price scale



(No Model.)l

W. J. HUMPHREYS. WBIGHING AND PRICE SCALE.

1105451224. Patented May 12,1891.

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ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VILLIAM JACKSON HUMPHREYS, OF CROZET, VIRGINIA.

WEIGHING AND PRICE SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,224, dated May 12,1891.

Appnanon niet May 24,1390. serai N0.s5s,o1o. momia.)

.To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J AcKsoN HUMPHREYS, of Orozet, in the county of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Weighing and Price Scales, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to providea new and vimproved weighing and price scale which is simple and durable in construction, enables the operator to quickly place the poise on the proper place on the beam to counterbalance the load on the platform, indicates the amount and value, and amount worth any sum of money at any price without requiring troublesome computations.

The invention consists of a poise provided with rollers adapted to travel on the beam, a friction-roller extending loosely into a slot formed in the said poise, and a slide carrying the said friction-roller and adapted to sub` stantially move in line with the beam.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line fr of Fig. l.

"Weighing as at present performed on leverscales is rendered more or less tedious on account of the series of guesses we are compelled to make in iinding the proper place to put the poise on the beam. By the invention presently to be described these guesses are entirely avoided, as it enables the operator to move the poise back and forth on the beam without touching it with the hand or other- Wise interfering with its balancing-value while being moved. In other words, the poise may be moved back and forth at will without materially increasing or decreasing its pressure on the beam, so as to enable the operator to move the poise continuously until the beam rises or falls, as the case may be, indicating that the correct position is reached. Troublesome calculations, such as frequently come up in the use of scales, often lead to errors and loss of time, to say nothing of the annoyance it gives the merchant and his customers. The invention seeks likewise to avoid all this by rendering unnecessary every such calculation.

B is the beam of au ordinary platformscale, mounted in the usual manner and provided on top with a V-shaped ridge C, on which are litted to travel rollers D, having V- shaped grooves of larger angle than the ridge O, so that only the edge of the latter touches the bottom of the V-sliaped grooves of the rollers D. The latter are mounted to turn in the poise E, having a longitudinal opening, through which passes loosely the beam B.

Between the rollers D, in the middle of the poise E and on top, is arranged a transverse slot F, into which extends a friction-roller G, preferably having a V-shaped rim, the point of which is adapted to touch the forward or back wall of the slot F, according to the direction in which the poise E is being moved. The friction-roller G is mounted to turn in suitable bearings in an arm H, projecting downward from a slide I, fitted to slide longitudinally on guideways J, arranged in line with the beam B. The guideways J are formed on the lower edge of a board K, secured in any suitable manner to the post supporting the beam B, so as to be above the beam and carrying a computing table, as hereinafter more fully described.

On the front of the slide I is secu red a suitable knob or handle L, by which the said slide can be moved conveniently forward or backward on its guideways J, so that the poise E is moved in the same direction by the friction-roller G being in contact with either of the walls of the slot F, according to the direction in which the slide I is moved. From the latter extends upward an indicating-arm N, arranged directly in front of the table O, provided with numerals and lines properly arranged, indicating the amount and value at any price of the article weighed on the platform of the scales.

On the forward end of the board l is arranged an arm P,througl1which passes the free end of the beam B, and which serves to limit the swinging motion of the latter, so that the beam is always practically in a horizontal po- IOO sition, sufficient room being given to allow the beam to swing slightly up and down, in order to determine when the poise E has been moved to the proper place on the beam B.

The rollers D are preferably mounted on axles having conical beds which rest in conical recesses in the poise, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 2, so as to reduce friction to a minimum. The opening in the poise E through which the beam I3 passes is suliiciently large to permit a slight lateral movement of the poise E, so that the latter does not touch the beam when it is adjustedfor- Ward and backward, as previously mentioned. The poise E is so constructed that its center of gravity will fall below the upper edge of the beam B, so as to prevent the tilting of the poise E to either side.

The article to be weighed is placed in the usual manner on the platform and when the poiseEis at its innermost position at or about the Zero-niark then the operator takes hold of the knob or handle L and moves the slide I forward, so that the sharp edge of the roller G, acting on the forward wall in the slot F of the poise E, causes the latter to travel forward on the beam B, the rollers D rolling on the `\!shaped ridge C of the said beam. As the latter is also kept practically horizontal, a very slight pressure on the poise E will cause the latter to travel along the beam and as soon as it has arrived at the proper place it counterbalances the weight on the platform. Then the beam drops into the horizontal position, thus indicating that the poise is at the proper mark. Now it will be seen that the operator need not remove his hand from the slide I, as the poise E is entirely free to move the moment it reaches the proper mark, the slot F permitting the poise E to move upward or downward with the beam without further hinderance from the roller G than at most the exceedingly minute friction of the roller G on its bearings-minute because the pressure of the roller G on the respective side wall of the slot F is never great and often nothing at all. It is evident that the poise can be moved outward or backward, as the case may require, until the beam B indicates byits motion that the correct pla-ce is reached, and all without the operator removing his hand from the knob L. Thus all guess-work is avoided and the weighing rendered much more expeditious than by the ordinary process of guess and try again, as is now practiced on the scales commonly in use.

The beam B may be graduated in the usual manner, so that the poise itself indicates the amount weighed 5 but the gradua-tion may also be placed on the table O, as at a, as indicated in Fig. l, the left edge of the arm N indicating on the said graduation.

The table O is provided with predetermined numerals and lines, which differ according to the price and money used. As shown in the drawings, the numerals, one of which occurs between every two consecutive members in the horizontal value-row, indicate dimes and the vertical lines half-dimes, thus avoiding the excessive numbering and marking necessary should the value be given in cents, and at the same time retaining all desired accuracy. A corresponding row of numerals is arranged near the left edge of the arm N, so that if the price per pound of the article weighed is known the entire value can at a glance be seen by reading the proper numeral on the table O. For instance, suppose the article to be weighed is balanced by the poise E at the mark shown in Fig. l. Now it will be seen at once that it weighs between twelve and one-half and twelve and three-fourths pounds read on the graduation a at the left edge of the arm N. New suppose the price of the article to be eighteen cents per pound. The operator then looks first for the numeral I8 on the arm N, and opposite this numeral he finds on the table 0in the corresponding row the numeral 22 but in order t0 reach this numeral 22 he passes over a half-dime mark, and, besides, about two-Iifths of a half-dime space before reaching the half-dime mark. Thus the value is seen to be 22 dimes, -ldime, and of a half-dime` or, as we see at a glance, $2.27. Similarly, if the price of the article weighed is thirteen cents per pound the value is indicated on the table O opposite the numeral 13 on the arm N--that is, IG dimes and l half-dime, or $1.05. Suppose the value pe'r pound to be eighteen and two-thirds cents. Then it is readily found that at eighteen cents per pound the value is two dollars and twenty-seven cents, and at two-thirds cents per pound its value is seen in the fraction-rowof the cents, and notdimes, and marked as about eight and one-half cents, so that the entire value at eighteen and two-thirds cents per pound is two dollars and twenty-seven cents plus eight and one-half cents equals two dollars and thirty five and one-half cents. Should the value per pound be greater than the arm 22 indicates-say thirty-seven cents per pound-then add the values at twenty and seventeen cents per pound; similarly for any other price greater than the arm 22 indicated. Again, if one calls for so man y dollars and cents worth of an article, then the operator moves the slide I until its arm N comes to that position in which the amount called for will be found on the table O, Opposite the numeral indicating the price per pound of the desired article on the arm N. The scales are thus set for the amount desired. For example, suppose one calls for two dollars and fifty cents worth of an article which is Worth twenty cents perpound. The operator takes hold of the handle L and moves the slide back or forth, as the case may be, till the left edge of the arm N at thenumber 2O (price per pound) comes to the number 25 on the corresponding value-row in the table O. This shows that the quantity of the desired article necessary to balance the counterpoisc at the position IOO IIO

which it then has is Worth twenty-five dimes, or two dollars and fifty cents, while the line a shows that the quantity is twelve and onehalf pounds. Similarly fer any amount at any price per pound the quantity and the value of the same may be found. Should the article to be weighed weigh more than the poise E can counterbalance, then additional weights are put on the swinging rod c at the end of the beam B, as in ordinary platformscales.

As illustrated in the drawings and above described, the device is best adapted for the addition of a twenty-pound weight, as that is the limit ofthe scale-beam represented in the drawings.

At the right-hand end of the table O are arranged two columns of numerals, of which the left-hand row is the price-per-pound row, while the right-hand row is the row of corresponding values, in dimes, of twenty pounds. Now, again, suppose the price of the article to be weighed to be eighteen cents per pound, and suppose the amount to be twenty pounds plus what is indicated by the position of the poise E in Fig. 1. The extreme right-hand row tells that twenty pounds at eighteen cents per pound are worth thirty-six dimes or three dollars and sixty cents, while the arm N tells us on the value-rowthatthe remaining amount at eighteen cents per pound is worth two dollars and twenty-seven cents, so that the Whole amount at eighteen cents per pound is worth three dollars and sixty cents plus two dollars and twenty-seven cents, equal to five dollars and eighty-seven cents. By this means almost all troublesome calculations are avoided.

In the manufacture of the scales this or any other computing-table may or may not accompany the rapid-setting arrangement, as desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The combination, with a scale-beam and a longitudinal guideway adjacent to the beam, of a poise itted to slide on the beam and provided with a transverse slot and a slide on the guideway, and provided with an arm projecting into the slot of the poise, substantially as described.

2. rl"l1e combination, with a scale-beam and a longitudinal guideway adjacent to the beam, of a. poise fitted to slide upon the beam and provided with a transverse slot and a slide on the guideway, and provided with a frictionroller working in the slot of the poise, substantially as described.

The combination, with a scale-beam and alongitudinalguideway above the beam, of a poise provided with rollers adapted to travel upon the beam, and with a transverse slot, a slide on the guideway, and provided with a downwardly-projecting arm, and a frictionroller on the end of the arm and working in the slot of the poise, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a scale-beam having a V-shaped ridge onits upper edge and a longitudinal guideway above the beam, of a poise provided with rollers having V-shaped grooves in their peripheries, and with a transverse slot, a slide on the guideway, and provided with a downwardly-extending arm, and a friction-roller having V-shaped periph ery on the lower end of the arm and working in the slot of the poise, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a scale-beam and a poise fitted to slide thereon, of a guideway extending longitudinally of the beam, a computing-table supported by the guideway, and a slide on the guideway, and provided with a graduated arm, and an arm engaging the poise, substantially as described.

G. The combination, with ascale-beam and a poise fitted to slide on the beam and provided with a transverse slot, of a guideway extending longitudinally of the beam, a com- WILLIAM JACKSON IlUllllIlREYS.

Witnesses:

C. T. JORDAN, CHAs. HANCOCK. 

